meganmreads 's review for:

From the Earth to the Shadows: Valkyrie Book Two by Amanda Hocking

3.0

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I really enjoyed Between the Blade and Heart as a fun and somewhat unique urban fantasy with valkyries, gods, drama, and mayhem. From the Earth to the Shadows is the much anticipated sequel.

I liked the supporting characters in the first book and I was glad to see more of them in the sequel.

If I’m being honest, From the Earth to the Shadows wasn’t the thrilling sequel that I expected. It felt very much like a second book instead of an epic finale. Something was missing and the writing felt clunky. I don’t remember not liking the writing in the first book, so I’m not sure if the tone changed or if I’m just more forgiving when I’m reading a first book. I do tend to forgive a first book for feeling a little like info-dump, but it didn’t work in a second book. It just felt like the characters went from point A to B to C without a lot of world or character building in a way that would have smoothed the story out.

The plot itself was good, I just wished the story was executed in a more polished way.

If you’re looking for a fun urban fantasy, the story is good. If you tend to read a lot of unpolished indie books and don’t mind a little bit of roughness in the storytelling, it’s definitely a great read and I thought it ended well.